RED SOX NATION SHEDS FEW TEARS FOR THIS CLOWN

AS A YANKEES FAN, it pains me to say it, but the Boston Red Sox deserve credit for releasing Manny Ramirez.

No one player is bigger than the team. It’s an old sports cliché but it’s true. Manny believed that he was…until he found himself on a plane to Los Angeles last night.

Rumor has it that the Red Sox management consulted with senior players in the clubhouse and the verdict was unanimous: Manny has to go.

His latest outburst, during which he claimed Boston did not deserve him, proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

That the Red Sox are going to be a weaker team without him is beyond question. They’ll miss his clutch hitting and David Ortiz is going to have few balls over the plate to hit.

Jason Bay, Manny’s replacement from the Pittsburgh Pirates, has actually hit more home runs than him this season (22 v 20). But, let’s be honest, he’s not Manny.

You could almost hear the sighs of relief across the Bronx when news of the trade came through. No man has caused the Yankees more pain over the years during their battles with Beantown.

Joe Torre now has the problem of managing Manny

Now he is going to ply his trade in the National League under Joe Torre. The two will make strange bedfellows – Mr Passive and Mr Angry.

And to think, the Red Sox were even willing to subsidize the move to the tune of $7 million. 

Dan Shaughnessy, writing in today’s Boston Globe, said: “We’re going to miss the majestic homers, the pajama pants, the goofy antics in left field, and the bathroom breaks and cellphone calls from inside the Wall.

“But we won’t miss the fabricated injuries, lame excuses, and occasional no-shows. We won’t miss watching Manny Ramirez dogging it down the first base line. His teammates and manager won’t miss going to the ballpark wondering if Manny feels like playing tonight.”

The truth of the matter is that the goofy, loveable rogue called Manny had outstayed his welcome in Boston. His comedy act didn’t make people laugh any more.

It wasn’t funny when he slapped Kevin Youkilis during a dugout spat (well, okay, it was if you’re a Yanks fan!) It certainly wasn’t funny when he attacked Boston’s 64-year-old traveling secretary Jack McCormick when he couldn’t meet his ridiculous, last-minute ticket request.

“Too bad his final days were so ugly,” wrote Shaughnessy. “In the end, Manny had few friends in his own clubhouse and much of the fan base had turned against him.”

So well done Theo Epstein and Terry Francona for biting the bullet and cleansing the clubhouse. Manny just being Manny was no longer acceptable.

WHY THE YANKS PICKED PUDGE OVER THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

PUDGE RODRIGUEZ for Kyle Farnsworth? A year ago, this trade would have been a no-brainer for the New York Yankees.

But, right now, some fans are questioning the merits of the latest move by Yanks’ general manager Brian Cashman – and understandably so.

Farnsworth was the man Yankees fans used to love to hate. But in this “what have you done for me lately” sport, the Professor’s stock has never been higher.

The 6ft 4in gentle giant deserves credit for turning things around in the city with the harshest critics in baseball.

After two pretty ordinary years for the Yanks, he is actually their most-used reliever this season, giving up 43 hits and just 18 runs in 44.1 innings for a very respectable ERA of 3.65.

Farnsworth responded to the faith placed in him by Girardi, his former Chicago Clubs catcher, to become the go-to guy in the eighth inning when Joba Chamberlain was switched to the starting rotation.

That’s why both men had a tear in their eye yesterday when the surprise trade with the Detroit Tigers was confirmed.

But let’s keep it real. That Farnsworth had become more reliable was beyond question.

Not so reliable, however, that Girardi would leave him in with two men on and one out against the Boston Red Sox last week. 

Girardi had to call on Mariano Rivera for a five-out save and the nagging doubt about Farnsworth remained. Could he really get the best hitters out with the game hanging in the balance?

Need for a hitting catcher outweighed Farnsworth's improved form

In the end, Cashman and Girardi both felt the sacrifice was worth making to sign an All-Star catcher, even if it is only for two or three months. Like Rodriguez, Farnsworth is a free agent at the end of the season.

At 36 years of age, Pudge is not quite the force of old, but he’s still hitting .295 with 32 RBIs and five home runs.

That’s a lot better than José Molina (.226), signed as a back-up catcher by the Yanks but pressed into regular action to the season-ending shoulder injury to Jorge Posada.

Despite his defensive strengths and ability to throw runners out, Molina is hardly a finely tuned athlete. Cashman and Girardi clearly feel he is not up to the task of playing every day, especially down the stretch in a pennant race. No. 3 Chad Moeller can’t hit either.

The Yanks are now just one game behind the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card standings, but they look to have by far the hardest schedule over the last two months.

No fewer than 10 of their remaining 55 games are against the Los Angeles Angels (67-40), currently the best team in baseball.

The Red Sox have lost their last eight games against the Angels but the good news for Terry Francona is that they don’t have to play them again in the regular season.

The Yanks have some tough road trips to come and with major question marks over their starting pitching, the one thing they’re going to have to do is hit from one through nine.

With Brian Bruney ready to return to a bullpen boosted by much-improved performers such as Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras, the Yanks feel they can cope without Farnsworth.

That’s why it took less than six hours for Cashman to agree to send him back to Detroit. At least he can leave New York with his head held high.

ONLY THE EARLY BIRD GOLFER CATCHES THE WORM IN STAMFORD CONNECTICUT

GOLF, they say, is a rich man’s hobby. Well, it certainly is if you want to play the new public golf course in Pound Ridge on the eastern border of New York State and Connecticut.

Playing a full 18 holes at Pound Ridge Golf Club, which officially opened in July, will set you back a cool $235. The good news is that the cart is included.

Pound Ridge’s contours were carved out of the countryside by legendary golf course designer Pete Dye. Dye’s many creations across America include TPC at Sawgrass, Florida, and Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana.

I must confess, I’ve yet to play the par-72, 7,171-yard course. I can’t afford the down payment.

But having recently come out of golf retirement, I have discovered both the pleasure and frustration of playing in the Stamford CT area.

Providing you purchase a Resident Golf Permit for $30 at the start of the season, you don’t have to have pockets as deep as Tiger Woods.

If you’re willing to walk, the Green Fee is $23 at Sterling Farms and just $20 at E. Gaynor Brennan.

The problem is that these are the only two public courses serving a city with a population of around 125,000, not to mention the many who visit from the surrounding towns.

I soon discovered that if you want to play on the weekend, you need to plan in advance.

Get up early if you want to book a weekend round

The days of the Sunday night “lottery” at Sterling Farms may have gone but if you want to play at a reasonable hour on a Saturday or Sunday, you need to get up at 5am the week before to book it.

Tee time reservations can be made (by residents) up to seven days in advance via an automated telephone system, starting from 5am.

Surely, nobody in their right mind would wake up at that time to book a round of golf? Well, I did the other day…and couldn’t get through for 20 minutes.

For those requiring a little more sleep, you can book directly through the website from 6am onwards. But, by then, the most sought-after spots will have been filled.

To be fair to Sterling Farms, the course is in superb condition and is continually developing as they reinvest profits. Those profits must be pretty high judging by the number of vehicles in the car park. It’s full by 7am.

The last round I played took the best part of five hours. But as a hacker myself, perhaps I shouldn’t criticize the slow play of others. The only difference is that after two attempts, I pick up and move on to the next hole.

I’m told it’s easier to get a tee time at Brennan. Sadly, my intended debut there last Thursday was rained out.

So if you want to play golf and you live in the Stamford area, my best advice is either rise with the lark or take a day off during the week.

Failing that, you can take out a bank loan and head for the stockbroker belt in Pound Ridge. Apparently, you need plenty of balls to play there.

MANNY A YANKEE? STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED

COULD MANNY RAMIREZ end up wearing pinstripes before his career is over? Unlikely perhaps. But impossible? Certainly not.

Ramirez’s declaration this weekend that he wouldn’t object to a trade from the Boston Red Sox was probably just Manny being Manny.

Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that he is in the last season of an eight-year, $160 million contract. 

The Red Sox have an option to sign him for $20 million for 2009, and another $20 million for 2010.

Could he do better elsewhere? Possibly, but at 36, he’s probably looking for a little love and long-term security.

Ramirez’s relationship with the Red Sox has been turbulent. So it wasn’t exactly a bombshell when he told ESPN’s Spanish language station: “I’m tired of them. They’re tired of me.”

“If the Red Sox are a better team without Manny Ramirez, they should trade me. I will not object,” he reportedly said.

RED SOX STAR IS WILLING TO PLAY IN IRAQ

“I don’t have any preferences. I could choose a team that offers me the best conditions or one in the chase for the post-season. I don’t care where I play. I can even play in Iraq if need be. My job is to play baseball.”

Iraq might be the best place for a man with such an explosive personality. But, in the unlikely event of Boston letting him go, why not the Bronx?

After all, no man has produced as many big hits against the Yankees as Manny. He’s batting close to .500 against them in the last 10 games alone.

He was raised in the Washington Heights district of New York City and seems to be pretty good pals with the Yanks’ star man Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod even recorded a special message congratulating Manny on his 500th home run.

There’s precedence too of a big-name player leaving the Red Sox for their deadly rivals. Johnny Damon did just that in 2005. 

Despite the signing of Xavier Nady, the Yanks could do with a right-handed slugger and salary wouldn’t be a problem.

Two things, however, might prevent it happening. No team needs Manny more right now than the Red Sox, even with David Ortiz back in the line up.

And would Joe Girardi and the management team really want the hassle of dealing with the many moods of Manny?

STREAK ENDS BUT RED SOX KNOW THE YANKS ARE BACK

DAVID ORTIZ and Manny Ramirez, so often the two thorns in the side of the New York Yankees, put a smile back on the faces of Boston Red Sox fans at Fenway Park last night. 

But despite their obvious relief at avoiding a three-game sweep, Sox supporters will be looking over their shoulder anxiously…because “the Evil Empire” is back!

Their 2-1 series victory means the Yanks are now just two games behind Boston and three adrift of American League East leaders the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sure, it was disappointing that they suffered their first defeat in nine games since the All Star break.

But to say the match-up of Jon Lester v Sidney Ponson favored Boston would be something of an understatement.

General manager Brian Cashman has already addressed two of the team’s major deficiencies by trading for a corner outfielder, Xavier Nady, and a left-hand reliever, Dámaso Marté, from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now he needs to sign another starter before Thursday’s deadline.

The Yanks have been riding their luck with Ponson and Darrell Rasner at the back end of their rotation…and their luck ran out last night.

Now Cashman needs to sign starting pitcher

Ponson, who had made the most of the 41 runs the Yanks offense scored during his first four starts, was found out by the better hitters.

Don’t be fooled by his 6-2 record. His ERA for the Yankees is 6.08 and while he has done okay as a stopgap measure, he was never going to be a long-term solution.

That’s why Cashman is talking to the Seattle Mariners about left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who is 5-9 for a team that’s 39-65.

Washburn has an ERA of 4.5 and while he wouldn’t be my first choice, he knows how to pitch in the American League and would certainly be an upgrade on Ponson and Rasner.

While we wait and see what develops, the Yanks will attempt to bounce back against the Baltimore Orioles at the Stadium tonight (7.05pm) when Mike Mussina goes for his 14th win of the year.

One streak has ended but another is still going. The Yanks have won their last 10 home games and a four-game series against the last-placed Orioles would appear to give them every opportunity to keep the run going.

Just one note of caution…they have already lost two of the three series they’ve played against Baltimore, proving once again that you can never take anything for granted in baseball.

GIRARDI DESERVES CREDIT FOR KEEPING YANKS IN THE HUNT

NO HIDEKI MATSUI. No Chien-Ming Wang. No Phil Hughes. No Ian Kennedy. Now, no Jorge Posada. 

The New York Yankees have only been able to field their No. 1 line-up on a handful of occasions this season yet, remarkably, they are managing to apply pressure on both the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox at the top of the American League East standings.

When you consider that Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon have all spent time on the Disabled List this season, and that Robinson Cano and Jason Giambi contributed next to nothing for the first two months, I don’t think the word “remarkable” is an overstatement.

This amount of injury problems would cripple most teams, even a club with the resources of the New York Yankees.

Yet a four-game winning streak since the All Star break has put the Yanks within four-and-a-half games of the lead in the AL East and just three games out in Wild Card standings.

It’s been a tough start to life as boss in the Bronx for Joe Girardi. He and his coaching staff deserve credit for papering over the many cracks.

So how have they done it?

The five-man starting rotation was slated to be Wang, Andy Pettitte, Hughes, Kennedy and Mussina.

Mussina performing well above expectations

Mussina was supposed to be the No. 4 or No. 5 starter yet he has turned out to be the ace in the pack, recovering from a 1-3 start to go 12-6, more than anyone of sane mind could have hoped for.

The Yanks, for the moment at least, are managing to ride their luck with Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner at the back end of the rotation.

Ponson, in particular, has enjoyed amazing run support – 41 in his four starts – and, to his credit, has managed to work out of some jams. His performance in last night’s 12-4 win over the Minnesota Twins was probably his best to date.

As it turned out, Joba Chamberlain’s switch from the bullpen to the rotation was essential. The fear was that the Yanks would suffer in the later innings of close games.

Yet the much-maligned Kyle Farnsworth has not allowed a run in his last nine appearances, justifying the faith Girardi has placed in him as his 8th inning guy.

The Yankees are second in the AL in terms of relief pitchers used; yet not one appears in the top 15 for innings pitched.

With Mariano Rivera enjoying one of his best ever seasons (he only seems shaky when the game is tied), the Yanks’ pitching has been rock solid given the circumstances.

The hitting hasn’t been quite so good. They have scored three runs or less in 43 of their 99 games.

Molina proves capable deputy behind the plate

Hardly surprisingly, A-Rod hasn’t managed to repeat last year’s achievements, and a niggling shoulder injury has denied the Yanks Posada’s batting and catching power.

José Molina has done a fantastic job for a man only supposed to play once every five days. He has a great percentage throwing out runners. But the one thing he can’t do is replace Posada’s run production.

With Cano and Melky Cabrera both struggling in the first half of the season, the Yanks did well to reach the All Star break five games over .500.

Now they’re at a season-high nine games over and with a three-game series coming up against the Red Sox this weekend, in a position to mount yet another second-half charge for the pennant.

That’s no more than is expected. After all, we’re talking about the New York Yankees, a club that has won 26 Championships.

Only time will tell whether they can maintain their current form up until the end of September.

But given some of the strange faces we’re seeing on a daily basis – Brett Gardner, Justin Christian and David Robertson to name but three – Yankees fans should be ecstatic just to be in contention. 

NO NORMAN CONQUEST AS HARRINGTON REELS IN GREAT WHITE SHARK

THE LEPRECHAUNS were out in force but there was no fairy tale ending to the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Irishman Padraig Harrington, who became the first European to retain the Claret Jug for 102 years, is one of the most popular players on the professional golf circuit.

However, most neutrals were rooting for a 53-year-old Australian – Greg Norman – who, remarkably, took a two-shot lead into the final round.

Norman, still on his honeymoon after marrying former tennis great Chris Evert last month, was supposed to be yesterday’s man.

Yet here he was with a real chance of winning his third Open, 15 years after he last won the tournament at Royal St George’s in Sandwich, Kent, England.

Sadly, it was not to be. Norman could only manage a bogey-strewn 77 against Harrington’s superb 69, which gave him victory over Englishman Ian Poulter by four shots.

His five-wood approach to the 17th green, which landed less than six feet from the pin and set up an eagle putt, was the shot of the Championship. Even the absent Tiger Woods would have struggled to match that one.

Norman: "To say I'm disappointed is an understatement."

But while Irish eyes were smiling, neither Norman nor his new bride could hide their obvious disappointment.

He might have started the week with no expectations. But despite his attempt to downplay his chances going into the final round, you could tell he really believed he could win.

Victory would have gone a long way to erasing some of the many heartbreaking defeats he had to endure during his prime.

The Great White Shark finished runner-up in The Masters three times, most notably when he blew a six-shot lead in the final round to Nick Faldo in 1996. He was also second twice in both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.

No man who has won a Major, let alone two, can be called a choker. But it’s fair to say that Norman’s ability merited more.

“It was a good week. Am I disappointed? Of course I’m disappointed. That would be an understatement,” he said. “I'm not as disappointed as I was in the 80s and the 90s, that's for sure. It's a different disappointment.

"When you put yourself in a position, you've got the lead, of course you want to close the deal; there's no question about that. But at the same time you've got to take a little stock of the situation, and again reality."

Harrington, himself, admitted that a wrist injury, which nearly forced him to withdraw from the Open, actually worked in his favor.

Wrist injury took pressure off the defending champion

“In hindsight, the fact that I didn’t have to play three practice rounds meant that I was fresh for the battle ahead, and it was a battle on the weekend,” said the 36-year-old father of two.

“Maybe having a wrist injury also took a bit of the stress and pressure off me. It was a good distraction.”

What a contrast to last year at Carnoustie when a double bogey at the last meant he had to endure a four-hole play-off with Sergio Garcia before lifting the Claret Jug.

“I knew my game was there. Once I got my drive away at 18 I knew I’d won it. It was an enjoyable 18th hole this time,” he added.

“Very few people have won back-to-back Majors. Winning a second sets you apart. There are a lot less people in the club.”

While Harrington headed home to celebrate, Norman journeyed to Scotland, where he will compete in this week’s Senior Open Championship.

Victory at Royal Troon was always going to be a more realistic target. But even if he achieves it, it won’t be quite be the same.